Using a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency
in new York State
More and more businesses have started having their mail delivered to a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) rather than having it sent directly to their place of business.
A CMRA can help keep your business mail organized and secure. If you work from a home office, using a CMRA makes sure your business and personal mail stay separate. For businesses with more than one location, using a CMRA collects all your mail in one place. You also don’t have to worry about mail getting misplaced by employees, because only authorized individuals can access your mail.
When you hire a CMRA, that agency is required to file Form 1583 with the US Postal Service (USPS). Form 1583 verifies that the CMRA is permitted to accept and handle mail on behalf of your business, providing you with an extra layer of security.
We make it easy to meet the Form 1538 requirement with Mail Scanning & Virtual Office Service.
All you have to do is fill out the required information using our online portal. We’ll take care of getting your Form 1583 notarized and filed–it’s quick, paperless, and free.
Mail Scanning, 10 Scans/Year : $49/year
Mail Scanning, 25 Scans/Year: $99/Year
Virtual Office, Unlimited Scans: $19/Month
What’s A Commercial Mail Receiving Agency?
A Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, or CMRA for short, is a private business that the United States Postal Service (USPS) has approved to receive and redistribute mail on behalf of its clients.
The CMRA provides its clients with a business mailing address they can use to have all of their mail sent to the CMRA. Then, the CMRA forwards that mail to clients (physically, digitally, or through a pickup box).
Even though authorization to accept mail comes from the USPS, a CMRA can accept mail from any mail delivery company, including FedEx, UPS, and DHL.
At New York Registered Agent LLC, we provide mail scanning, also known as digital mail forwarding. We scan each mail item that arrives for your business and then upload those images to a digital mail box. You receive an email notification for each new item.
We use mail scanning rather than physical mail forwarding because it allows our clients to view their mail immediately, no matter where they are located. Mail scanning also prevents mail from being lost in transit to clients and eliminates mail clutter.
Reasons to Use a CMRA for Your Business
Why should you use an NY CMRA rather than having mail sent directly to your place of business or getting a PO Box?
Look professional with a real, physical street address
With New York Registered Agent LLC as your CMRA, you get an actual street address to use as your mailing address instead of just a PO Box. Using a PO Box or a residential address as your company’s mailing address can come across as shady, while using a street address lends your business credibility and makes you look more professional.
Increase your privacy by protecting your home address
If you’re one of the many freelancers, entrepreneurs, or side hustlers who work out of a home office, using a CMRA so that you don’t have to use your home address as your business mailing address helps keep your personal information safe from scammers and upset customers. Plus, you can keep your personal and business mail separate.
Enjoy the comfort of knowing that your mail secure
Making sure that mail doesn’t get into the wrong hands or go missing can be a difficult task if you have a busy office where multiple employees have access to your mail or if you have mail being sent to multiple business locations. Using a CMRA ensures that only authorized individuals have access to your mail.
keep your mail organized and Easily ACCESSIBLE
Having your company’s mail delivered to a CMRA means that your business mail is gathered together in one place, rather than spread across multiple locations or mixed in with your personal mail. You can quickly and easily view all your mail any time you want, and you never have to deal with mail clutter or junk mail (we shred all obvious junk mail!).
Save money and time with a permanent address
When you’re choosing a CMRA, make sure to pick one that has a stable address, rather than a CMRA that’s just renting a suite or using an address vendor. At New York Registered Agent LLC, we own our building, so our address is permanent. Using a CMRA with a permanent address means that you don’t have to deal with the paperwork and stress of a sudden address loss or change.
How to Hire a CMRA: Form 1583 Requirements
When you hire a CMRA, USPS requires that you file Form 1583 to confirm that you have given the CMRA permission to receive your mail.
Filing Form 1583 protects you in two ways. First, it helps prevent bad actors from using your name or your company’s name to commit mail fraud by verifying your identity. Second, it ensures that the CMRA accepting your mail has the authority to do so.
The information you provide on 1583 is only shared with USPS, so your personal details stay private.
Form 1583: Required Information
Form 1583 asks for the following information:
– Your name
– Your residential street address
– A copy of your photo ID
– Proof of address
– Digital signature
Acceptable Forms of Photo ID for Form 1583:
You can use any of the following forms of photo ID for Form 1583:
– A US state/territory/tribal driver’s or nondriver’s ID card
– A uniformed service ID
– A US university ID
– A passport
– A US permanent resident card
– A US access card
– A certificate of naturalization
– A NEXUS card
– A matricula consular
Unfortunately, you cannot use:
– Your social security card
– Your birth certificate
– A credit card
– A concealed carry permit
Acceptable Forms of Proof of Address for Form 1583:
You can use any of the following forms of proof address for Form 1583:
– A US state/territory/tribal driver’s or nondriver’s ID card
– A deed of trust
– A current lease document
– Mortgage documentation
– A home or vehicle insurance policy
– A vehicle registration card
– A voter registration card
Using New York Registered Agent LLC As Your CMRA
When you hire us for Mail Scanning or Virtual Office Service, we provide a copy of Form 1538 in your online portal. All you have to do is log on and complete the form with the required information. We handle getting the form notarized and filed.
You don’t have to track down the form on your own or send it to our office. We make sure the process is paperless and as easy as possible.
Once your Form 1583 has been accepted, we can accept your business mail.
Mail Scanning and Virtual Office Options
Mail Scanning
with 10 Scans/Year
$49/Year
- Unique suite number
- Same-day scans & notifications
- Secure online account
- Junk mail filtering
- Phone service: 90-day free trial
Virtual Office
with Unlimited Scans
$19/Month
- Unique suite number
- Month-to-month lease
- Same-day scans & notifications
- Secure online account
- Junk mail filtering
- Phone service with NY area code
Mail Scanning
with 25 Scans/Year
$99/Year
- Unique suite number
- Same-day scans & notifications
- Secure online account
- Junk mail filtering
- Phone service: 90-day free trial
New York CMRA faq
You don’t need to file Form 1583 if you’re only ordering Registered Agent Service. You DO need to file Form 1583 when you order Mail Scanning or Virtual Office Service. However, we make it easy by providing the form in your online account. Just log in and provide the required information—we’ll take care of the rest!
You can’t use the same form of ID both the photo ID and proof of address requirements. You need to provide separate documents for each requirement.
Some CMRAs accept packages. At New York Registered Agent LLC, we do not store packages, so you should have your packages sent to another address.
As long as you meet the ID and proof of address requirements, you can use a CMRA, US resident or not. Non-US addresses are acceptable on Form 1583.
If you own multiple businesses and want to use a CMRA for all your business mail, you will need a separate mailing address and to file a separate Form 1583 for each business.